Galatea’s Dream came from the merger of three art songs: One Voice (2016), White Ash (2019) and The Clockmaker’s Doll (2020) woven together to to reflect the struggle between maturation and femininity.
Galatea is a mythical, carved ivory statue that comes to life. She represents an object of desire who transforms into a practical survivor. In the myth, King Pygmalion sculpted and fell in love with the statue he had crafted. In answer to his prayers, the goddess Aphrodite brought it to life and united the couple in marriage. Through love, motherhood and loss, the dream eventually crumbles, but she survives.
Fanfare, (2021) described Gibson’s unmemorized staged collaboration as “existential isolation, as felt by women that mirrors loneliness and the artist’s antidote for despair which is beauty in words and music. Words like “time,” “space,” and “breath” acquire metaphysical overtones (in this piece). What is accomplished (is) beyond the limits of spacetime, something invisible hovers, and it is up to us to name it as terrifying or divine.”
In 2023, the creative team rejoined to create a film version of the project.